CP World Report: Church of England, Egypt Election, Chen Guangcheng

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By World Report, The Christian Post in partnership with Crossroads, WEA

May 23, 2012 | 10:45 AM

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The Church of England's House of Bishops have taken a step toward allowing women to become Bishops . After making only a few amendments to accommodate more conservative theological views, the House approved widely-debated legislation. Still however, many in support of having women bishops are unhappy with the compromise, pointing out restrictions; and they hope to see women in fully equal roles as men within the Church of England. But some traditionalists have already left The Church of England as a result of the legislation, where a final vote could take place at the church's General Synod in July.

Egypt's Presidential election takes place today and tomorrow. According to persecution Watchdog Open Doors USA, persecution may worsen against Christians depending on the outcome. Carl Moeller called the position of Christians precarious. Since the downfall of Hosni Mubarak in February of last year, Egypt's future is still unclear. Moeller says Open Doors continues to pray for a peaceful transition and for a greater voice of the Christian Community in the future of their nation. Open Doors ranked Egypt as the number one persecutor of Christians in Arab Spring countries. The Muslim Brotherhood has won the majority of seats in parliamentary elections

Emergency crews are still assessing all the damage from the earthquake in Italy. Some fear that many of the region's historic buildings and churches may be beyond repair. Plus, the earthquake is taking a heavy toll on the local economy.

The blind Chinese dissident who captured the world's attention with his escape from house arrest, is seen as a victory for human rights. Chen Guangcheng challenged China's one-child policy that forces abortion on women. After extensive high-profile talks between America and China, Chen and his family were granted visas to the U.S. They arrived in New Jersey and were greeted by Congressman Chris Smith; a pro-life Republican, who has also been active in cases involving religious minorities. The Christian human rights organization ChinaAid, played a pivotal role in Chen's escape

A new study suggests people who attend religious services regularly are less likely to develop diabetes or high blood pressure. The authors, from Mcmaster University in Hamilton, Ont., theorize that Christian and other religious gatherings offer a stress-reducing social-support network, that frowns on risky behaviour like smoking and drinking; and encouraging good diet and exercise. The study was headed by an epidemiologist.

For the first time ever, a commercial rocket has blasted off into space from Cape Canaveral, opening a new era of market driven spacecraft. The SpaceX company made history as its Falcon 9 rocket rose from its launch pad. The unmanned rocket carried into orbit a capsule named Dragon that is packed with 1,000 pounds of space station provisions. The giant iconic "Canada-arm on the International Space Station will be used to grab the "Dragon" capsule in the next few days. The White House quickly offered congratulations while NASA applauded. The space agency is banking on the switch to commercial cargo providers , now that the shuttles are no longer flying. If all goes as hoped, Astronauts could begin taking commercial rides to the space station in three to five years.

A religious marker outside a Florida courthouse is causing some controversy. The Bradford County Commission approved the placement of a Ten Commandments monument in the courtyard of the county courthouse. An atheist group turned out in protest, while supporters gathered in prayer.